Catwoman Vol 2 56

"Cataclysm, Part Six: Claustrophobia": Catwoman steals a pair of WayneTech binoculars that will help her in her next heist from a display in the eighth floor of a crowded Buddingdale's. She sneaks her way out through the ven

Catwoman steals a pair of WayneTech binoculars that will help her in her next heist from a display in the eighth floor of a crowded Buddingdale's. She sneaks her way out through the ventilation ducts to the elevator shaft. As soon as she steps onto the elevator car, a tremor strikes the building and the elevator collapses, leaving Catwoman hanging from a shaft.

She recovers from the shock and starts to crawl through the debris. When she finally gets free and reenters the shop area, she finds that the whole building was affected by whatever happened. She comes across a security guard helping an injured little girl named Elise on the eighth floor. The guard pulls his gun on her, thinking she bombed the department store, but Catwoman whips it out of his hand. She tells him she had nothing to do with this, and she tends to Elise while the guard digs for any other survivors.

Elise dies shortly before the guard's digging upsets the debris further. He tries to comfort her, but Catwoman decides she's had enough of this place. She's feeling claustrophobic. She jumps to the next floor and begins searching for a way out. She gets excited when she finds a window she can look out from, but when she lays her eyes on Gotham, she is shocked to see that her entire city has been destroyed by an earthquake.

Catwoman returns, to the guard's surprise, and he tells her that there are six survivors including the two of them. Catwoman has found a way out, but they have to move quickly because half the block is on fire and this twelve-story building has become an eight-story building. They've had an earthquake.

Catwoman uses her whip to carry the survivors, one by one, across to the fire escape of another building that they can climb down from.

Afterwards, Catwoman sits on the ledge of a building and contemplates her city as it goes up in flame. She decides she'll take a minute before she goes back to saving everyone she can, but in that minute, she mourns her best friend.

Links and References

This issue is a part of the Cataclysm crossover that swept through all Batman FamilyTitles during 1998. Gotham City was almost completely destroyed by a massive earthquake. This story led into the events that would eventually create No Man's Land.